Despite their benefits on dermatological applications, many ingredients in skin care and cosmetic products cause skin irritations. Retinoid and its derivatives, for example, cause severe local irritation manifested as mild erythema and stratum corneum peeling of the skin. Topical or systemic use of retinoids such as retinol, trans-retinoic acid or isotretinoin (accutane) is linked to skin irritation. Typical approaches currently employed include reduced retinol/retinoid concentration, use of retinol/retinoid alternatives or formulation/delivery approaches, such as encapsulation, controlled release, compartmentalization, inclusion of non-irritating excipients. None of the above has successfully reduced retinol/retinoid irritation while retaining retinol/retinoid efficacy.
Other ingredients such as benzyol peroxide, alpha-hydroxyl acids and derivatives thereof, salicylic acid, surfactants, natural plant extracts, sunscreen actives, urea, preservatives etc. are also known to cause external skin irritations. Furthermore, skin irritations may be caused by inherent disease conditions such as acne, rosacea, atopic dermatitis, and other disease states. As a result, there is a need for anti-irritant substances to mitigate external skin irritations, or irritations caused by inherent skin conditions.
Heretofore, redness and irritation of the skin have often been treated with topical steroids. However, prolonged use of topical steroids can cause the skin to atrophy and may not be well tolerated over longer time periods.
Thus, it is an object of this invention to provide topical compositions that can be used to ameliorate redness and/or inflammation of mammalian skin.
It is another object of this invention to provide topical compositions that provide beneficial dermatological applications that are well tolerated by the skin.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method of ameliorating redness or inflammation of the skin using a topically applied composition.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a method of ameliorating redness or inflammation quickly in order to relieve symptoms.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a composition capable of providing beneficial dermatological applications that are safe for continued use over a long time period.